"Congress tourism is the tourist industry sector with the biggest growth and the best placed to increase its turnover," stressed the president of the Spain Convention Bureau (SCB) and Mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre during the association’s annual conference held in Seville on 4 April 2008. Seventy-five representatives of local organisations belonging to the SCB attended the conference.
De la Torre noted that Spain "is the country with the fifth most important congress tourism sector in the world," with a turnover of 3,000 million euros en 2006, according to figures provided by congress centres belonging to the SCB, excluding seminars and workshops organised by hotels and other private companies. In addition, he mentioned the "immensely important role that city and town councils can play in promoting congress tourism by making destinations attractive for visitors."
SCB’s new members
The conference agenda featured the approval of the membership requests of Caceres, Badajoz, Ciudad Real and Zamora, bringing the total number of SCB member cities to 47. Moreover, Toledo was chosen to occupy the organisation’s second vice-presidency, while Cordova will occupy the first vice-presidency in the executive committee presided by Malaga.
About the Spain Convention Bureau
The SCB was created in 1984 as a specialised department within the Tourist Commission of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces. Named the Spanish Department of Congress Cities, Spain Convention Bureau is the brand name used for marketing purposes.
Seville, 3rd in the ranking of Spanish congress destinations
Seville, which hosted the SCB annual conference on Friday, 4 April 2008, is regarded as third most important Spanish congress destination, behind Madrid and Barcelona. In 2007, the city registered a turnover of 333.38 million euros, 12.47% of total number of visitors being business travellers attending meetings or congresses.
